David Dooley said he was willing to discuss the charges against him with the media, but Judge James Shrand wouldn't allow him to do so.

Dolley is charged with murder and tampering with evidence in the May 29 slaying of Michelle Mockbee, a married mother of two.

The 42-year-old Mockbee's body was discovered at ThermoFisher Scientific, where she worked as an administrative assistant.

Dooley's wife, Janet, said her husband admits he was friends with Mockbee but denied he killed her.

"I asked what was the motive, and (detectives) said that was the million-dollar question," Janet Dooley said. "I asked them what would be the murder weapon, and they said we don't have one; that's why he's being charged with tampering with evidence. They say he must have took it from the crime scene. I pray every day that we do find the right person that did this to her, because it's not David."

Dooley's attorney, Eric Deters, tried to arrange a court-supervised meeting with media members, but the judge denied the request.

Prosecutors said they were concerned that Deters wanted to try the case through the media and could possibly taint the jury pool, but they did not file a formal objection.

Deters said he would continue trying to get Dooley a chance to talk publicly about the case against him after an upcoming pretrial appearance.

Prosecutors said they have substantial evidence that will come out during a trial.